Michael Joseph McElhiney, age 37 and formerly of Spokane, Washington, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday. Between March 4, 2021, and Sept. 10, 2022, McElhiney defrauded investors by falsely claiming to operate a cryptocurrency investment fund called Mac Blockchain Solutions. He contacted victims in person, via […]
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison after serving five years, following a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). “This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations,” Wikileaks […]
Juan Tacuri, a major promoter of the cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme Forcount, later renamed Weltsys, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the Southern District of New York. The scheme primarily targeted Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S., and Tacuri benefited significantly, amassing millions from his fraudulent activities. Scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 24, […]
In Salt Lake City, Krista Renae Stone, 23, pleaded guilty to using the dark web to arrange a murder-for-hire in 2023. According to court documents, Stone utilized bitcoin to pay $ 5,000 for the hit. Between March and September 2023, she accessed a website offering “hitman for hire” services, providing detailed information about the …
David Kagel, a disbarred California attorney, pleaded guilty to orchestrating a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that defrauded victims of over $ 9.5 million. Kagel, 85, promised high returns through artificial intelligence trading bots and falsely claimed to hold $ 11 million in bitcoin to secure investments. He used his attorney position to instill trust, …